"A secret prize, and seniors classified as S-rank monsters... looks like this evaluation’s more complicated than it seems," Vanessa muttered, narrowing her eyes as she glanced around the forest.
"Well, the academy always had a way of making things more complicated than they needed to be,. though, when you think about it, the process itself is pretty simple."
"Haha... true. I guess it just makes things a bit more interesting."
Deep within the southeastern section of the monster-infested forest, the two girls stood facing each other.
Stacia and Vanessa—childhood friends, once inseparable—were now opponents under the academy’s current trial.
Despite knowing the truth behind this test... despite understanding what was really at stake and what they were ant to do...
A trace of tension still lingered in the air between them.
Because regardless of their bond, this was still a competitive evaluation. And in this mont, they were enemies.
"You’ve gotten stronger again... Stacia," Vanessa said softly as her gaze swept across her old friend.
It wasn’t every day you could feel this kind of mana coming from a human—no, this wasn’t just strong, it was refined.
Powerful.
Controlled.
Stacia’s body wasn’t even engulfed in flas yet like she usually was when igniting her mana, but Vanessa could still feel the heat radiating off her.
The sheer intensity of it—its quality, its quantity, the way it clung to her skin like a second layer—was too perfect.
There was a light glow outlining her figure, subtle but unmistakable.
It reminded Vanessa of the ti she had seen the great fire spirit king as a child.
That sa overwhelming presence... but now, from a person standing right in front of her.
She always knew Stacia had potential. Always knew she was gifted. But not like this. Not to this extent.
’Looks like Senior Riley really did wonders to her,’
"And you look the sa, Vanessa," Stacia said, eyes narrowing slightly. "Wasn’t there anyone interesting? With how many points you’ve racked up, I figured you’d at least get a little serious..."
She eyed the other girl from head to toe.
Vanessa was still wearing her hood, barely a scratch on her clothes, not even a sar of mud or dried blood.
The lack of nature mana around her was telling—she hadn’t even needed to go all out once.
Vanessa let out a soft chuckle. "Honestly, most of those points ca from luck. I just happened to pass by a group of seniors who were already worn out from fighting monsters... and so poor students who bit off more than they could chew."
Her eyes flicked to her evaluation badge.
[#2 – VANESSA – 10,770 Points]
Sure, she had cleared a few monster packs on her way, but the bulk of her points ca from those three seniors—already exhausted and half-defeated—lying in her path.
It really was just a matter of good timing.
Then, her gaze moved over to Stacia’s rank.
[#3 – STACIA – 8,760 Points]
"It seems your current score ca from a very different kind of process," Vanessa said, her voice thoughtful.
"I had a few... direct encounters with our fellow classmates," Stacia replied casually.
"You eliminated a top 10 freshman from the Knight Departnt, didn’t you?" Vanessa asked, raising an eyebrow. "Was he strong?"
Stacia didn’t answer right away.
"...He was brave," she said, her voice a little quieter.
"I see."
It hadn’t been long since Stacia climbed to her current rank. Just earlier, she’d single-handedly turned a whole horde of B-rank Taurus Minos—massive, bipedal bull-like monsters known for charging in herds—into nothing but ash.
That alone had catapulted her into the top three.
"Are you going to hunt more monsters and fellow students now, or proceed with the special quest?" Vanessa asked, her tone calm but curious.
Just a few minutes ago, the announcent of the special quest had thrown everyone off balance.
Not only was there a hidden objective, but it ca with a shocking twist: the top seniors were being classified as S-rank monsters.
Technically, that designation made sense—those seniors were on a completely different level of power. But the implications made everything more complicated.
"I’ll proceed as I always have," Stacia replied, her crimson gaze flickering with the faint glow of restrained flas. "I’ll follow where the flow of my open flas leads ... and defeat whoever stands in my way."
Vanessa raised an eyebrow at that. "Am I one of those obstacles?"
"That depends," Stacia said, her voice low, almost teasing. "Depends on whether or not your roots will grow in my path."
Vanessa smiled softly at that, brushing a strand of pale green hair behind her ear. "Then I’ll gladly step back."
There was no bitterness in her voice, only understanding.
Despite her calm deanor, Vanessa wasn’t weak.
With her elven heritage and natural affinity to mana, she had always held a slight edge in magic and perception over most of their peers—and at one point, even over Stacia.
But now? Now it was different.
Her senses, deeply attuned to mana and danger, were screaming.
Everything about Stacia was wrong in the most terrifyingly perfect way.
The heat around her wasn’t just warmth—it was pressure, intensity, overwhelming dominance.
And it wasn’t even her final form yet.
Vanessa could feel it: Stacia was still holding back.
That alone was more than enough warning.
"I can tell you’re not at your peak yet... and that’s what makes this even more terrifying," Vanessa said, her smile wryer now.
Stacia gave a soft laugh.
"Is that so? I would’ve rather liked it if you resisted a bit. It’s more fun that way."
Vanessa chuckled back, shrugging. "Fufu, I know my limits. And I don’t see any reason to throw myself into a losing battle right now. I’m already satisfied being in the top ten. Unless sothing unexpected happens... I don’t plan on making any drastic moves."
Stacia gave a small nod, accepting her answer. This was very much like the Vanessa she knew—laid back, aware of her power, but never needlessly aggressive. Even if she could push forward, she chose not to unless there was a real reason.
"Well then, I’ll go—"
"Ah! Wait!"
"Hm?"
"Can I tag along with you?" Vanessa asked, her voice light but a bit more serious than usual.
Stacia paused, turning back to glance at her. "Why?"
"Well, why not?" Vanessa smiled under her hood, her tone playful but sincere. "How about we call a slight truce for now? Don’t worry, I promise I won’t get in your way—or backstab you. You know I can’t lie, right? Elf oath and all."
She took a breath and continued, her fingers brushing against a leaf as it floated down.
"And while I did say I’m satisfied with my current rank, I can’t lie about one thing... the curiosity’s been getting to . That mystery reward at the center of the forest? It’s driving crazy. I’ve been trying to cheat a little—asking the spirits around, even trying to sense sothing with my nature affinity, but nothing. Not a single hint. It’s like the forest itself is hiding it from ."
She looked off in the distance toward the forest’s deeper zone. "Of course, I could just go there myself... but let’s be real—it’s guarded by one of our top seniors, and I really don’t feel like going toe-to-toe with one of them alone~"
"So," Stacia said flatly, "you want us to face a senior together?"
"In a way, yes," Vanessa shrugged. "Since you’re already heading that way, I figured—why not help each other out? You don’t have to wait for or anything, just... let tag along. I’ll keep my distance. I promise, I really won’t slow you down and ill help you if we ever encounter a senior."
Stacia stared at her for a mont, quietly weighing the situation.
It wasn’t like she didn’t trust Vanessa.
If anything, Vanessa was one of the few who could actually keep her word, especially with how strict elven contracts worked.
And besides... having an extra hand against a senior didn’t sound bad.
"Alright," Stacia finally said with a sigh. "Just make sure you keep your distance. I don’t want to accidentally burn you."
Vanessa grinned. "Okay~ You won’t even notice I’m there."
The two girls walked side by side, though a noticeable distance lingered between them—an unspoken understanding, perhaps, or simply a precaution.
They didn’t speak much, their steps light but steady as they made their way deeper into the forest.
Along the way, they faced a handful of monsters—nothing too threatening.
Stacia’s flas cleared them swiftly, while Vanessa either dodged or used her nature-based spells to entangle and finish off any stragglers.
Their coordination wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t have to be.
Both were strong enough on their own.
More troubleso than the monsters, however, were the other students they kept encountering—ambitious, anxious faces trying to ambush them or intercept their route.
Most of them backed off once they saw who they were dealing with.
A few weren’t so smart.
Those ones got dealt with even faster than the monsters.
Eventually, the two reached the narrow, vine-covered path that was the only marked route into the center of the forest—a path clearly labeled on every student’s map as "Restricted Zone – High Risk."
Vanessa groaned lightly, brushing her hair back. "Our location pings are seriously getting annoying now. I thought the system would at least serve as a warning to stay away from us. But instead, it’s like a beacon. An open invitation."
"Well," Stacia muttered, "so students are getting desperate."
As mbers of the current top three in the rankings, both of their coordinates were automatically pinged to all participating students every thirty minutes—a system designed to keep the competition dynamic.
But more often than not, it did more harm than good.
It was supposed to prevent point hoarding or excessive hiding, but all it really did was paint a giant target on their backs.
Sure, most students knew better than to pick a fight with the top three.
But curiosity, greed, and the hope for a lucky upset always drew in a few foolish ones.
And the fact that the identities of the top rankers were still hidden—just listed as anonymous codes—only made things worse.
People were drawn to mystery.
And mystery, combined with the recent addition of a Point Stealing chanic—only applicable if you defeated soone in the top three—ant the risk looked worth it to so.
Stacia narrowed her eyes slightly, her senses stretching outward.
"...We’re being followed," she said quietly, not bothering to look back. "Three of them. Maybe four."
"Let them," Vanessa said with a shrug. "They’ll either back off or learn their lesson the hard way."
Stacia didn’t respond, but her gaze lingered on the trees for a mont longer.
Word must’ve already spread about their identities.
Even if their nas weren’t officially listed yet, there were always rumors—and once one person confird sothing, it spread like wildfire.
And yet they were still being followed.
That alone said enough about the desperation so students were starting to feel.
Right now, the two of them were standing in front of what looked like a deep cave hidden within the thickest part of the forest.
Covered in vines and partially tucked behind a rocky cliff, it was easy to miss—yet it was unmistakably marked as the only way through to the center of the forest without taking a long detour around.
"Since we’re already halfway to the center," Vanessa spoke up, eyeing the cave warily, "there’s a high chance a senior’s waiting inside, right?"
"Highly likely," Stacia nodded.
"Who do you think it’ll be?"
"No clue. My mana senses get distorted the mont I try to scan beyond the entrance... like sothing inside’s ssing with it."
"So even the seniors we might face are a mystery now, huh," Vanessa sighed. "I just hope it’s not Senior Riley..."
"Oh?" Stacia raised an eyebrow. "So, you’re confident against the others?"
"Not exactly," Vanessa let out a nervous chuckle. "But facing him just feels... inevitable. Like it’s the end of the road or sothing, you get what I an?"
Stacia nodded slowly.
She understood all too well.
Riley wasn’t soone you could just sum up with a few words like ’strong’ or ’talented.’
There was sothing deeper—more layered about him.
An overwhelming presence that could make even the most capable students hesitate.
But even if that was the case...
A small flicker of hope lit up in her chest. I hope it’s him.
Because if it was Riley, then this would be her chance.
Her chance to show him how far she’s co.
That the effort he poured into her wasn’t wasted.
That she didn’t forget the promise they made... and that she was still chasing the standard he set for her.
The two girls exchanged a glance, silent but certain.
Then they both nodded—and stepped inside.
What greeted them wasn’t what they expected.
A wide, open underground space stretched out before them.
The ceiling was high and jagged, filled with sharp stalactites that looked ready to fall at any mont.
The floor was uneven, with spikes of stone jutting out in strange patterns.
And yet—despite the danger in its structure—there was beauty in it too.
Dim lights shimred softly across the walls, glowing in hues of blue, green, and violet.
Luminous mana stones were embedded in the rock, casting a faint radiance that bathed the entire space in a dreamlike glow.
"There are trees in here...?" Vanessa mumbled in surprise.
Not just any trees, either.
They were tall, elegant, and faintly glowing—just like the mana stones scattered around them.
The trunks were thin but sturdy, their leaves shimring as if painted with stardust.
These weren’t ordinary trees... they were clearly attuned to magic.
So even looked as if they were drawing in mana from the stones around them, pulsing faintly with each breath of the cave.
As they moved deeper inside, the lights grew brighter. The oppressive feeling from outside faded, replaced by a strange warmth.
It was nothing like what they expected from a cave.
In fact... it almost felt sacred.
...
Eventually, they reached what seed to be the brightest corner of the cave.
A narrow passageway ca into view, carved out between two uneven walls.
As they stepped through it, light slowly began to spread across a wide open space.
The terrain here was strange.
Distorted.
So parts of the ground were slightly raised, like hills that had been pushed up by mana.
Others had been flattened unnaturally.
Up above, a massive mana stone hovered near the ceiling of the cave, casting a soft bluish light that lit up the entire area like a pale moon.
A humid, chilly fog clung to the ground, white and heavy, crawling across the field like smoke.
From ti to ti, faint sparks of blue lightning danced around them, flickering through the mist and disappearing before they could fully take form.
The two girls instinctively expanded their mana to check the surroundings—but again, just like earlier, their senses were disrupted.
The mana inside this place was too dense, too strange. It twisted and warped the mont they tried to reach out.
Still, they continued forward.
But then their footsteps stopped.
Standing in the center of the open field was a dark figure.
A young woman.
Her posture was calm, almost too still, as if she had been waiting.
Her red eyes, cold and unreadable, locked onto theirs.
She had long dark hair that swayed gently from the faint breeze inside the cave, and in her hand was a katana.
Purple sparks of electricity quietly flickered around the blade.
"...Senior Seo?" Vanessa muttered.
But it wasn’t her presence that made them freeze.
No—it was the young man sitting calmly a few feet behind her, resting on a cleanly cut boulder like he owned the place.
Golden hair. Cold blue eyes.
His sword was stabbed into the ground beside him, its edge crackling faintly with lightning.
Even while seated, there was an oppressive pressure in the air—an aura that made the space around him feel heavier.
"...Senior Riley,"
Riley didn’t move, but his gaze shifted lazily toward them.
His voice was calm, quiet, but it cut through the air just as sharply as his sword would’ve.
"Looks like you brought a friend."
They knew there was a chance they’d face a senior once they entered this cave.
They even considered the possibility of it being Riley.
But two seniors?
At the sa ti?
What were the odds...?
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